A new report by the Pennsylvania Health Care Cost Containment Council shows that Chester County continues to reduce its rate of hospital super-utilizers.

Super-utilizers are patients who are admitted to a hospital five or more times a year, creating a strain on health care resources. In 2016 alone, there were 21.7 super-utilizers per 10,000 residents, costing nearly $1.25 billion in hospital payments in Pennsylvania.

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“Many of Pennsylvania’s super-utilizers have chronic health needs,” said Joe Martin, executive director of PHC4. The “results from this brief can help policy makers and health care professionals determine the best approach to care for these patients while containing costs.”

According to the research, Chester County’s rate of super-utilizers for last year was 14.1 per 10,000 residents down from 16.6 in 2012 and 15.3 in 2014.

Last year, the most common causes for hospital admissions for Chester County super-utilizers were sepsis with 283 admissions, heart failure at 245, and mental health disorder with 222. These are also the top three statewide.

The county with lowest rate of hospital super-utilizers is Pike, with six per 10,000 residents, while Philadelphia tops the list at 33.4.

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Top photo credit: NIHClinicalCenter Patient Talking With Doctor via photopin (license)